


Identity Issues

by Silvia_Embera



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is So Done, Crossover, Dying Will Flames (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Gen, I'm making this up as I go, Isekai, One Problem Child was Enough, Parental Kayama Nemuri | Midnight, Quirks (My Hero Academia), Tsuna Loves his Family, bear with me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24461923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvia_Embera/pseuds/Silvia_Embera
Summary: It was supposed to be downright impossible, even though that didn't stop the fates from placing one (1) Tsunayoshi Sawada on a dimension he wasn't born at, one where both the 'heroes' and 'villains' from comic books are supposed to exist, made of flesh and bone.Without knowing what to do, or what is happening, he lets the people on his surroundings guide him, leading to his arrival to the most prestigious school for heroes when he has no intention of saving anyone.A Spanish version of this fanfic is on Wattpad under de name of "Un Problema de Identidad".Hay una versión en español de este fanfic en Wattpad bajo el nombre de "Un Problema de Identidad".
Comments: 14
Kudos: 145





	1. Starting Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Umm, hello? I decided to finally write one of the ideas surrounding my head and here is the result, though this is just the beggining. I hope whoever decided to take a look ends up liking it :,D

It's Sunday, the sunrise has barely started and Ryohei's screaming isn't echoing through Nanimori yet; however, there is only one person in the house who is tucked in bed, someone who would have stayed there if a kid in a cow onesie hadn't forcefully opened the door before jumping to the bed (on a rare show of capability) to set apart his eyelids with his little fingers while demanding he woke up to fulfill the promise of "escort me and my entourage to the playground". 

When the older one doesn't move, reinforcements arrive and soon enough two children are jumping in the bed until, without prior notice, Tsuna leaps onto them (falling to catch them).

  
-"Breakfast's ready"-calls their mother, Nana, from the first floor, which encourages Lambo, the one dressing like a cow, to declare it a race that the two people left in the room, Tsuna and I-Pin, ignore. When they go downstairs, they find Reborn cleaning his guns near Bianchi and Fuuta setting the dishes. From there, their meal goes like it usually does: cheerful, lively, with food thieves, and short.

  
-"It would be nice if this peace lasted"-mumbled Tsuna to himself on his way back to his room, and nearly an hour later he was outside with his rings, lenses, and pills -involuntarily- with him, ready to go alongside the kids to the playground.  
It wasn't a peaceful trip, but it was close.

-"As an entourage, you shall walk behind the Great Lambo-Sama"-declared Lambo excitedly, though immediately after he was reprehended by I-Pin.

"From where do you even learn to speak like that?"-answered Tsuna in his mind, as he observed the two kids bickering at each other. As it was nothing new, he did nothing to stop them and merely yawned, noticing Fuuta looked uneasy at his side. He asked directly: "What's the matter, Fuuta?"-The said person took a moment before answering: "We'll be fine without you, so, well, you can go back and stay at home sleeping or something."  
-"¿Auch?" - he felt more confused than hurt, though -"You don't want me to go wi-"  
-"¡No!" -Fuuta cut off, somewhat scared-"that's not it."-He continued in a lower voice when I-Pin turned to see them, even if she didn't stop fighting.  
-"¿Then?"  
-"It's just that you aren't sleeping well, and uh...Finals are close and you keep fighting hitmen and all of that, so, yeah, you must be tired.  
It would be better if you spend the day with your friends or at home..."-he spoke faster with every word, locking his eyes on his untied shoes as well. It was worth noticing he didn't use any ranking to back up his words, but that was something he could benefit from.   
Since they were arriving at the park, meaning I-Pin and Lambo wouldn't -probably- go too far from there, he kneeled in front of Fuuta to tie the younger one's shoe, having a bit more of time to think his answer.  
-"Well, I like to spend my time with you, its nice and amusing. Besides, a promise shouldn't be made to be broken, don't you think?"-Not the smartest answer, but it was honest, yet Fuuta wasn't convinced-"If you don't believe me make a ranking of the people I want to be the most right now."-while it was a dangerous bet, Tsuna is -almost- sure he can win, it's not like he can think of something else either.  
-"Are you sure?"  
-"Yep"-he smiled as he stroked the hair of the other-"Let's do a race to the park"-before having an answer, he started to run, knowing the kid is slow. Tt's always touching to see him try.

  
And while he does want to spend time with them, he also has a bad premotion.

  
"Lambo, be careful, you'll fall."-As soon as he said it, it happened: while I-Pin jumped and spun swiftly across the monkey bars, Lambo fell near Fuuta and his Ranking book the moment he got in there. On the other hand, as early as it was, there weren't many people around, so it wouldn't cause that much of a commotion if some things levitated for a couple of minutes, either way, most people tried to avoid being near the Sawada.

  
He sighed when he heard Lambo's mantra, luckily, before the 10-year bazooka made an entrance, Yamamoto appeared out of nowhere, candies in hand, to calm the little one down. It suspiciously worked, and Lambo moved his interest to the sandbox just in time for the things around them to start floating.  
Yamamoto was happy, laughing even after he collided with I-Pin as he pretended to dive. One minute later, the magic stopped and just half of them were able to land gracefully, amongst the unlucky was Lambo, who ended with his face con the sand, eyes hurt because of the sand, he started crying again.

  
-"Yamamoto, please lend me your water bottle."-Tsuna knew Yamamoto was -most likely- going to baseball practice, so hopefully, he carried water with him.  
-"Of course, here"-answered Yamamoto, taking a bottle from his bag.  
-"Thanks"-he then sat in front of the cow lookalike-"Lambo look at me"-ignoring the objections, he used one hand to see the eye, while Lambo looked at different directions, and poured water with the other.  
-"Does it sting?"-Well, it probably did, but there wasn't more sand in the eye.  
-"Dame-Tsuna, you were supposed to protect me! Go away! I hate you!"-was the answer he got, and under normal circumstances, Tsuna would stay in the same place after hearing it.


	2. Waking up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos! And the bookmarks! And the comment!  
> They made me happy :)

At first, he was with a crying, angry, Lambo; then, at the next moment, he was at an unknown place, surrounded by strangers after he passed through a tunnel of lights. The logic, and experience, says he is in the future thanks to the ten bazooka, what else could it be? He's got nothing to worry about, this time was an accident (right?), so he will be back in five minutes like he should have the first time. Who cares about how different are this future and the one he remembers? Definitely not him, it's obvious that after defeating Byakuran changes would happen, there is no reason to be afraid, none at all, sickness? Tsuna? Nope!

_Even when no fume accompanied his arrival._

There is no need to worry about such details... Still, the people making a circle around him, looking at him, made him feel awkward. Not that he blames them, some would be curious after the exchange, besides, it could be the bags with money and jewels he is close to.

Inhale, exha-

-"I, the Silver Knight hero, will stop your skulduggery." -Excuse me, skulgu-what? Why are you getting closer?

-"Hieee!?"-he dodges a spear, two spears, terrified at how they destroy the wall behind him, he receives the third attack, a fist directly into his face, making his eyes close, and his body falls backward. Soon after that, he hears what he guesses is a scream, but more importantly, he recognizes the melody of an ambulance.

When his conscience comes back to the surface, the first thing he perceives before opening his eyes is the smell of talc, no, it smells like a nurse office, like a hospital, why? Nothing hurts, and while he passed after the punch, it shouldn't be enough for him to get hospitalized, he evades doctors as much as he can, especially after Reborn arrived at his house for the first time.

Let's try again: breathe in, breathe out. 

Tick, tack.

He opens his eyes noticing its nighttime, no familiar person is around, no unknown person is in the room either: he is alone, all the beds he passes (admittedly, not a lot) are empty; there is a -loud- wall clock at his right and he does not recognize what he can see out of the window. At least it's reassuring to have his rings with him, and the same clothes from the morning. 

Tick, tack.

When was the last time he felt so alone?

Opting to ignore the sting in his eyes, he searches for his phone, and glad as he is to find it close to him, he doesn't appreciate the burning feeling when he turns on the screen to see the time: 14:00. That's not possible, not when it is so clearly night. Confused, he turns on the flashlight of his phone, aiming for the wall clock: 1:15, which does make more sense, despite helping for absolutely nothing. 

Sigh.

On the _bright_ side, this might be one of Reborn's pranks, meaning that at any time now Gokudera, Yamamoto, or someone else will come to help him, maybe the tutor himself will appear out of nowhere with some ridiculous attire to punch him for being so pathetic. Yeah, that's always a possibility. 

But what if this has nothing to do with Reborn? What can he do on his own? As he has his phone with him, he can try to call someone, Gokudera always answers.

Tick, tack.

After a short meditation, he controls the tremble in his hands, reading through some blurred names, then dialing one number that _could_ work, because his dammed phone isn't working: no call goes out, not to Gokudera, not to Yamamoto, not to home, or Haru, or Kokuyo, or Hibari, or anyone. 

Each failed attempt makes it a lot harder to breathe.

Plan B: Try to sleep, perhaps the next time he opens his eyes, he will be back with his family, or at least the dread wouldn't be so consuming. 

If only the silence wasn't so sickening, but then again, every little sound makes him jump and increases his anxiety. 

Accepting the plan B failure, two, almost three hours later, he takes one last breath before getting out of the bed, and seeing his shoes on the floor, he puts them on before making sure he isn't leaving any other belongings.

Standing in front of the door, hand in the knob, ready to get out, find what’s happening.

-Maybe it would be better to jump out of the window-he reconsidered, taking a step back

-Well, yeah. What will you do after that, genius?-reprimanded another part of himself.

-Something stupid like always-and with that the conversation with himself concluded, for the time being.-At the count of three:

One, 

Two, 

Three,

.

.

.

Four, 

Five, 

Six...

Argh. 

Making a gap between the door and the wall, he faces a corridor with its light on, as well as stretchers, the dropper things, shelves with gauzes, and similar. Not too far away, was a person with a nurse uniform, scales... and horns, and there was also a plant shaped like a man. He closes the door, scared someone saw him, trying to find comfort on the fact that it might not be the strangest thing he's seen.

For instance, Byakuran had wings, he and all of his guardians were freaks. Not only them, but Ken could also change his appearance, make it closer to different animals.

Then, was he really at a hospital? Or was he at a lab? Are they going to experiment with him?

Well, it still can be some Vongola celebration he isn't aware of, but for whatever reason he is there, jumping out of the window seemed the most appealing and most available option, he had his pills with him, he can go to any place he needs, no plan is needed for now. Get out of the building became the priority.

Looking out the window, trying to estimate the distance to the floor, he didn't notice the person who entered the room until he spoke: "I'm glad to see you woke up, Ito-san told me you were spying through the door."-He was taken aback, hella aback, by the unknown voice; the other person apologized for startling him and continued.-"Tell me, do you feel any pain?"

-"It's okay, thank you, nothing hurts"-in front of him was a human silhouette, showing a relaxed pose and the old-sounding man didn't seem that much of a threat.

-"However, you look so pale, why don't you rest a bit more? It's still three in the morning"-While it's true he wasn't feeling anything close to okay, he can't see the face of the probably-doctor, isn't it too dark to know if he is pale? 

No, this is just Reborn getting into him-"Please, don't worry about it"-breath, Tsuna-"I, I'm just a bit confused? Could, can you tell me where I am?"

-"Oh, my. It's understandable kid, but you've got nothing to worry about as we are at the general hospital of Musutafu."-Oh, that was worrying, even more when the voice who answered sounded concerned.

-"Mu, Musutofu?-where in the world is that, Japan? But he's never heard of that name before.

-"Musutafu."-he answered, making emphasis in the 'ta' part-"Why so surprised? Well, this place is like the Olympus of heroes for some. Nevertheless, many heroes are disappointing and have a long way to go, like the one who knocked you out."-he's lost-"Speaking of that, what do you remember before waking up were?"-didn't he say he should rest? 

-"Aaaaaaam, there, there a man, this guy, Knight Silver? He started throwing lances after I, I appeared in the street"-Just what are you saying? There's no way they'll believe in him, they'll think he is crazy.

-"Speak properly, boy, what were you doing before that?"-Suspi~cious.

-"I was with my siblings in a playground"-he whispered, rushing with a question himself before he was asked anything else.-"Forgive me, do you know how long I've been here?"-He tried not to think about it but it was likely that he hadn't even gone back after Lambo used his bazooka (he doesn't remember seeing the kid use it, though).

-"How long? I think nine hours"-Há.

"That's a long time"-he managed to say before feeling himself fall to the floor.

When he woke up for the second time, he felt a century older after noticing he was in the same place, yet there was more hope than fear when he heard the door opening up, it went to disappointment fast when he saw an old man, probably the one he had spoken with, next to a half-cat, half-human persona dressed like a policeman.

Nononononono.

Reborn must be playing with him. There's no way this is real.

-"Good morning"-says the hybrid, ignoring his confusion, with a small bow-"I'm Sansa Tamakawa"-the doctor had left the room.

-"Good morning"-he repeated, a bit uncomfortable with the situation, without knowing what to do, drifting his eyes to focus on the clock: seven o'clock. 

-"I understand you are confused, so allow me to explain: unfortunately, a newbie confused you with a villain named Point Swap, so he attacked you thinking you were the criminal he was tracking. Fortunately, his agency has decided to make themselves responsible and as such your family does not have to worry about the hospital bill,"-Is he supposed to be thankful?-"they will send a formal apology as well"-His brain was being unusually fast, but this is too much to process, too little time to assimilate. Hero? Villain? 

At least, he had his priorities defined.

-"Did you get in touch with my family?"-It didn't seem like the policeman was expecting the question.

-"Unfortunately, no. That's why I'm here"-Meaning...? Oh, no, are they going to arrest him?-"We just need you to answer a couple of questions, it won't take long"-Will it help if he does so?

-"Okay."-The paper on the hopefully-policeman had answers on it, even when he couldn't read them from his position-"What's your name?"

-"Sawada Tsunayoshi."-he's sure he's making weird faces right now.

-"How old are you?"

-"I'm four, fourteen, Sir"

-"When's your birthday?"

-"The, on the 14th of Nov, October. The 14th of October."

-"The name of your parents."

-"Nana and Iemitsu."

-"Last question, what school do you attend? This will do for now."-That was too fast, shouldn't you ask for my direction or the phone number of my parents? 

-"I go to Nanimori Middle"-The other one stopped.

-"Nanimori?"

Uh, oh -"Yes? As fas as I'm aware...I mean, I was born and raised there" -Is it over? Did he mess up that bad?

"I see"-the cat-man seem to be troubled, silent for a couple of minutes he only sighed before standing up and continuing.-"Would you mind coming with me?"

He'd rather not, thank you-"can I not?"

-"I'm afraid that's not an option."-Oh, he's done for.-"I'll manage your exit"-Is that even legal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsuna doesn't know what's going to happen (nor do I, but I liked to write this).
> 
> P.D: Anyone who wants to, please leave headcanons about bnha 'cause I need them (I haven't read the manga, though)


	3. Questions and more Questions

He did not put any resistance into getting in the police car. As lost as he is, still assimilating the situation he couldn't accept as real, he thought the view through the glass was bizarre, too much even for a prank or festivity. Basically, not only he has no idea where he is, but so much diversity is extremely confusing.

-"Shoot me."-Luckily for him, there was no need for an explanation, since the cat-man, hopefully-policeman, was too deep in thought to listen to the whispers in the backseat. Nonetheless, it's still advisable to keep his mouth shut.

Right now, he only wants to crash in his bed, pretend today's events altogether didn't happen at all.

An explosion within his earshot pushes a scream out of his mouth, a reaction quite different to the one of the drivers who, instead of looking remotely surprised or even bothered, just sighs as if it happened daily. The silence inside the car was mortifying, moreover, the realization that the car had the child safety lock on came in awkwardly; at that moment, when they arrived at a police station, he felt like a murderer waiting for his death sentence, which could be not far from the truth, except that when he entered they only asked -ordered- him to sit on a chair while the cat-man who drove him spoke to someone else. 

A TV was on, with the sound off, showing some kids around his age in a podium, accompanied by the words 'obstacle race'.

What's more, he could hear the conversation from the seat, although following and differentiating the voices was difficult:

-"Why did you bring him?"-Let's call this voice 'guy #1'.

-"Orders. Besides, the hospital said he had to go."-That's the voice of the cat-man, and what he said is troubling.

-"And like for what _here_ ,"-insisted Guy#1.-"this is not police work, oink."

-"It should, that's why we accepted."-That's a new person.-"What's the matter? We just have to ask directly."

-"That ain't how things work, especially considering he is a minor."-Wow, being young is finally going to spare him?

-"Incorrect, he resembles a minor. Besides, what's your proposal? How are we supposed to deal with people supposedly dead who reappear with the appearance of a kid?"-How can he possibly explain he is some time traveler? Come on, where's the mafia when you-No, nope, he wants nothing to do with them, but he doesn't want to stay here either... His hands are so sweaty.

-"Shouldn't you be at the festival?"

-"That's mean, oink."

-"Too bad, my shift is in the afternoon. Going back to the topic at hand, I can do it if you don't want to~."

-"We don't have time for this."

-"Exactly."

-"Hey, wait-"

-"Let her try."

-"But, Sir."

When the door opened, he kept a scream to himself, pretending to have been focused on the TV all along, speaking of which, the program it showed had some amazing special effects. It looked interesting as well, though there's a distracting piercing gaze that came from a small (Reborn sized) girl who stood in front of him-"Tsunayoshi-Kun, right?"-He can feel her looming over him.-"I've heard some interesting things about you."-Is this some kind of test? Do they want to injure him? He moves a hand over his pills and rings.-"You know, it'is not okay to pretend to be dead."-Why this again?-"But first, tell us why that pathetic appearance, why such amended attire."-Sorry for looking pathetic, it's what I was born like.-"You don't feel like talking? Come on, you're causing more trouble than what you're worth. We all have better things to do."-What did he do this time?

-"Kobayashi-san, stop treating him like a villain."

Even when the rest of the world changed so, _so_ much, why does his future-self stills suck?

-"He's supposed to be one."

And for what is he supposed to be dead? He calms down a bit when he feels Natsu purring through the cloth. 

_A mafia boss doesn't cry in front of others._ How lucky is he to be

nothing more than a lost boy then. 

-"You think crying will help you?"-Well, no, it has never helped! People only ever mock him when he does, but he's so stressed, tired, worried. What else does the world want from him? What mess will it throw at him this time? Is his family alright? Last time, Gokudera found him almost immediately, then Lal-Mirch, then Yamamoto, he had guides and a base and people he knew around, right now he's alone.

-"Where did you left the innocent until proven guilty?"-What are they even accusing him of?

-"I just want to go home."-he mumbles in between breaths, unable to phrase anything else. He's given up living a quiet life, he'll deal with mutants, freaks, and the world's equilibrium, just please don't take anything else.

-"Nice farce. Why would a monster like you have a home?"

-"What's the racket?"

-"Naomasa-Kun, you're la"-someone else cut off.-"Perfect timing!"

-"What? Why?"

-"Come with us."

-"Masahi, you watch after him."-Come on Tsuna, pull yourself together. 

"Sure thing."-Tsuna puts his hands in his head, head in his knees.

Another cop got close to him-"You still sick, boy?"

-"Huh? Ummm, no, it's fine, thanks."

-"Sawada-Kun, tell me about you."-huh?

-"Don't speak so comfortably with suspects, especially to procrastinate."-What's his name... Masahi-san stated.

-"Don't mind him; let's talk about more interesting things!"-she looked around, focusing for a moment on the TV, it was indeed a weird program: a kid who makes explosions with his bare hands, a bird-like boy with bird-like shadow, and elbows that throw tape? Nice imagination.-"Do you want to be a hero?"-is that

what the show is about?

-"Not really, I'm"- for starters, too _Dame_ to be one-"I wouldn't be able to."

-"Why, you look like a fine boy, plus, I bet you have some cool quirk."

-"A quirk?"

-"Don't you? Are you quirkless?"

-"I guess?"

-"You guess?"

-"Well, ah"-It's all or nothing-"what's a quirk?"-No. Bad idea,

retreat, restart? One of them laughed, admittedly, it was a nervous laugh.

-"God, you sure say some interesting things. Don't cha think?"-he elbowed his partner, who continued:

-"Yeah, I mean, how can someone living in 3016 not know about a quirk?"

-"Three..!?"-He choked on air, so the word it came out more like a cough rather than a number. Oh, the sickness is back; at least, he isn't the only one with the colors drained out of the face, just the only one whose soul is leaving its body, after all, there is a big gap between 2020 and 3016, a lot more than a _mere_ ten years, meaning that everyone he knows is long gone.

Some awkward minutes passed filled only with the sound of voices talking about him, like last time, now he couldn't make anything out of them, though. 

When the door opened, it was closed again soon.

-"We should check if he's brainwashed, oink."

-"We can't, so far, he is a minor, and even if he wasn't, we still have to open an investigation first."

-"That's easy, it just takes some time to get everything sorted, you know, bureaucracy things."

-"Look, maybe if the boy in question wasn't this"-she put two fingers together-"close pass out for the third time in like twelve hours, we could do it."

-"Well, it's true we should call him down first."

-"No, we don't! He's too suspicious. What is he nervous about?"

-"Maybe it's trauma? He did mention Nanimori."

-"It happened after we mention quirks, though."

-"Then, he could have remembered something nasty."

-"Are you implying he was amnesia or something of the sorts?"

-“I think he's the son.”

-"DNA says he's not."

-"Maybe a clone?"

-"Stop it with the conspiratory theories, why are you all here? I only assigned two cops for this. Does it mean you have nothing else to do?"

-"What a mess."

-"Before you kick us out, Sir. What are we going to do with him? Throw him in jail or call an orphanage?"

Pretend nothing is wrong is his new favorite coping mechanism. As such, he ignores the conversation next door to focus on the TV. It looks like the race finished, accordingly, the list they are showing must be of those who passed to the next round, there was one who looked like Gokudera (he would be so excited to see UMAs), and that girl looked a bit like Kyoko too.

The next stage was named _Human Cavalry Battle._

-"Sawada-San?"

-"Hiee!"-This is it, he's dead.-"Yes, I'm sorry."-He felt so small against these people, it evoked the era before Reborn.

-"I'm detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, it's a pleasure"-He sees a nice smile, yet, it seems like his eyes don't match his words. To make everything worse, his intuition is abnormally uncomfortable.

-"Let me review, you're 14."-as his voice didn't come out, he nodded. His birthday is in like a week, meaning that with the time he spent in the future, he is already past 15, but that doesn't matter. From where he came, he is legally 14. Stop thinking so much.

Ugh, he didn't miss feeling so dreadful.

-"Your birthday is on the 14th of October."

Now he doesn't feel like a criminal, only like a ten-year-old. 

-"Yes. Umm, didn't Taka, sorry, Tanaka-san already confirm that information?"-Never in his life, since he was ten, had it been so interesting to play with his hands.

-"Then, let's talk about other things, shall we?"-Or let's not talk at all!-"You said you wanted to go back home, do you miss your family?"

-"Yeah..."

-"Tell me about them"-Oh, they, well, right now they are out of reach, presumably dead. Setting that aside, they are his pride, is it too weird to say something like that?

-"They, umm,"-think, think, think-"all have a few screws loose, but they are nice and I love them."-genius, Tsuna.-"They are loud and rowdy, but supportive?"

-"Are your parents alive?"

-"They were when I left the house."-He feels a bit proud of himself, seeing as he was evasive, but didn't lie. The other looked expectantly.

The detective continued when he kept silence-"They must be worried."

The answer came honest, without a second thought-"Nah, mom will be too busy with the kids to notice I'm gone, and dad probably doesn't care either."-Why would you smile while saying that? Oh, Tsukauchi-san looks worried. On second thought, maybe his father does care because of the Vongola, but-"That's just the way things are."-He knows that if there is a problem, it won't be that Tsunayoshi Sawada disappeared, but that the Vongola heir has gone missing.

-"Then, what about your friends?"

-"What about 'em?"

-"Just tell me about them."-His mind is stopped working for a moment. Are his friends searching for him?

.-"Well, there's Yamamoto, so he, well, he's the best at sports, none of us can even get close to beat him at baseball. He's super cheerful! And it's always nice to talk to him and"-how can he say it?-"He's hella strong, but still tries to solve the conflicts peacefully, he also has this way of washing away the pain? Even so, he's almost as bad as me when it comes to academics, and sometimes it creeps me out when he keeps insisting 9/10 of life is a game, or when he fights Gokudera. Ah, Gokudera's amazing and passionate, he can do just about everything, but sometimes it's hard to follow his speeches, I love him and all, just, it would be nice if he could be less..."

-"Rowdy?"

Obsessive could work too-"Close, I mean, I wish he was a bit more carefree; moving on, there's Haru as well, she is very intense...She loves children, and almost always sides with them when I fight my siblings, they also listen to her more than what the listen to me"- he kept on talking a while longer about how Ryohei keeps pestering him to get in the boxing club, regarding Hibari's linking to small animals and his similarities to Adelheid, concerning the unhealthy eating habits of the Kokuyo Gang... Halfway through the almost monologue, he realized just how long he talked and blushed hard.-"Well, I think of them as my family, the-, I admire all of them, they're amazing, the best."-who deserve better than me.-"Sorry I kept on rambling."

-"Don't be, I got tangled with the story, so I enjoyed listening."-He felt somewhat better after talking about his family, but this man made him feel uneasy. On the other hand, he doesn't think he mentioned any flame, magic, or mafia part, so yey! Then he was asked about quirks.

-"I'm sorry, are they so important?"-they probably told him he doesn't know about quirk.-"Aren't they like whims? or something like eccentricity?"

-"Then, do you know what a hero is?"

-"You mean like those of comic books?"

-"I don't think he is lying."

-"Think? We need something better than that, you know."

-"Look, my quirk is not infallible, far from it. Even when it says he didn't lie, that just doesn't make any sense. In the first place, let's say he has somewhat managed to live without hearing about quirks, as he insinuates, then how can he be so collected? Tamakawa has the head of a cat, did he react at all?"

-"He made weird faces all along."

-"Can we do the tests now?"

-"Not yet, the order will take a couple of days."

-"There must be some truth. It doesn't look like he was living in the streets."

-"But did you see his phone? That model is centuries-old!"

-"I've seen it in the market lately."

-"I asked about it, he simply said it wasn't working."

-"On the other hand, the orphanage said they will come to pick him up around six."

-"Isn't it time we change shifts? Who's going to babysit him?"

-"Just let him watch the festival, give him the benefit of doubt."

-"What if he is an experiment? Like the Nomu found at U.A. He being a lab-rat can explain everything."

-"Don't."

He was told to stay quiet, without causing any mess, and he will do so, because staying out of everyone's way as the others are minding their own business is working. For the most part, considering that around lunchtime someone was nice enough to offer him food, for which he is grateful. 

He has a _hole_ lunch for himself. 

Turns out, 

-"Now are you going to say you haven't heard about the Olympics?"

What they have been broadcasting on TV is a 'sports festival', transmitting real dangers live. Not only that, but they were participating in order to be heroes, because 'hero' is a profession at this time. When he asked about it, the answer was: "they uphold the law when fighting villains, people who use their quirks for evil", and that didn't seem right. Isn't naming someone a 'villain' too harsh? 

As he listened to their conversation, he guessed that as part of Vongola, he is a villain, which isn't too much of a shock. The thing is, agreeing would mean he is calling Enma and Lancia villains as well, which he wouldn't; when one of these criminals arrived at the station, they looked like any other normal person.

At some point, they told him about Present Mic: the sound-something hero, the one making commenting at the festival. He couldn't hear him, though he reminded him of Ryohei, following that thought, the man in bandages, Eraserhead, could be some Hibari-equivalent. 

He realized quirks are different from flames, for they are closer to Fuuta's ranking ability and Bianchi's cooking. While the powers themselves are amazing, it was the owner's will that intimidated him the most.

-"Well, he's facing the son of Endeavor, it's unsurprising."

-"Than man's missing a heart, maybe the boy's too."

-"Spare that boy."

-"He should learn to restrain himself."-Even if it wasn't necessary to display such power, he looked way too sad to be 'missing a heart'; maybe he didn't do it on purpose, as if a dam burst. 

At least not everything was raw brute force, seeing the gadgets of that pink-haired gal was interesting, it reminded him of the inventions and competitions of his Spanner, Shoichi, and Giannini.

Haru would have liked to see the pink- _skinned_ girl moves. 

The grades seemed angry throughout the next round, during which he swears he sees the rocks on fire even before the explosion.

The next fight felt like a video-game, the same character with different skins.

Then there was that moron with eyes that put him on edge, an asshole who broke his broken finger. Why would anyone go that far? He knows it hurts like hell, the green-haired boy isn't going to win, and his body will fail at any moment now. Just what on Earth is moving him? No, why no-one is stopping them?

Isn't the festival supposed to be some friendly propaganda? Why jeopardize yourself like that? What can he lose or gain from that?

After the next explosion, some cameras were damaged.

Not long after that, the competition continued. He saw their smartness, power, respect, feeling a bit discouraged they were around his age.

Is it okay to chain your students?

.

.

.

.

.

.

She had to do extra-work today, staying a bit longer than usual, which was always tiresome. Nevertheless, being able to see those children's blood, sweat, and tears, the way their fluids flowed through their bodies was worth it. Gosh, those pure-hearted, passionate, innocent, and honest students of her really knew how to make her heart race. Their fights had been so intense! Every single one of them! Beautiful, provocative, and inspiring.

Plus, there wasn't any security failure!

Being their teacher is the best. 

Unfortunately, perhaps, as the responsible adult watching the fight, she should have meddled a bit earlier between Todoroki and Midoriya... Nothing she can do about it now, though; one should focus on moving forward, for example, investigating the depth of a rumor she heard today.

She spoke about it with Nedzu, it was disturbing, delightful, and interesting, but worrying. 

Gossip, rumors, myths, legends... All of them call for her to listen, and she obeys because she adores them. However, this time, they're too many versions of the story for her to pick up in one go; still, she can find the essence, as well as a couple of ways to achieve it. Nonetheless, what can you win from it? The curiosity made her blood boil. 

As such, she was looking forward to meeting the boy in question at a police station, hopefully, she wouldn't have to go hunting for him afterward.

She licks her lips at the sight of the young boy, trembling like a newborn kitten. It dies down -just a bit- at how sick he looks, as if he's trying to disappear, that's not the part of youth she's the fondest of.

Because it had to happen, a villain came crashing through, demanding for a missing partner after he took two hostages. The first is an old man who came looking for his dog and the second the boy she came looking for.

Super-speed? Interesting. 

She takes out her whip, ready to fight her. 

Except, someone else takes down the woman first. Despite having trained eyes, she can barely discern what followed: some dim flames and somewhat experienced movements. 

A second and a half the villain is restrained, with no property damage and no drama. Nice.

Before anyone can say anything, the boy yells asking for an ambulance for the old man.

-"Didn't you say you didn't have a quirk?"

Say what now?

.

.

.

.

-"Is it safe to take him with us?"

-"I'm sure he isn't the most dangerous kid you have there, shouldn't you be happy you have a new subject?"

-"That is a rather nasty way to put it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	4. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead. Not yet.

This is not the first situation with time travel mishaps that Tsuna has faced, and superpowers are relatively common around him; by now, supposedly impossible things happening are more offending than surprising, although just as annoying and worrying as the first time. The real problem is that he’d never faced them alone; since the start, someone has always been there, guiding him and pushing him to bet and win against the odds. 

Although it seems that as sudden as everything came, it is -they’re- gone.

Admittedly, even if a new dreadful roller-coaster of emotions and mysteries was completely uncalled for, it’s not hard to like the idea of physics not being a thing, and that -without Reborn forcing him to- he might not have to be a Mob boss. Nonetheless, even if he was really presented a whole new chance to renew himself and start over, it won’t last since he continuously manages to make bad situations even worse like it’s some innate talent, reason as to why he absolutely lost the trust of all police officers at the station in less than a minute. He doesn’t need to know why they didn’t like him in the first place to notice the differences in their behaviour after he decided to play hero.

Five days have passed since then and he still can’t understand why his body didn’t freeze as per usual, why he bothered lighting up his flames when he didn’t even know the man; not only was he far from being needed, but he also broke the law, officially regaining his status as a criminal… Well, sort of? 

\- “Tsunayoshi-kun, it’s good to see you again! Do you have everything on you?” -Despite having no infernal training these days, his brain is the slowest it’s ever been, meaning it takes him some long seconds to process the greeting and question, plus some time more to give an answer: a simple “hello” with a nod.

\- “Well then, I hope we can get along!” -The fourteen-year-old dismissed the thought that she is threatening him. There’s no need to be paranoid when someone’s being nice to him. He should just grateful that -thanks to them- he doesn’t have to spend his nights on some dumpster running from the police; he wouldn’t last long that way. 

Then again, no one would do so much out of raw kindness; he knows he’s being tossed around by the nearby adults, but since he has no idea as to what they could want from him it’s better, easier, to do as he’s told.

When Kayama-san tells him to follow her, he thanks the people around them for taking care of him before doing so, feeling relieved as they drive away from the building in a car. At first, the ride was awkward, but he sinks into other thoughts fast enough: while it’s nice to take a break from being “The Tenth”, “Boss”, and especially “Dame-Tsuna”, I miss my family; it must be scary to be a parent these days; I enjoyed playing with the children; the silence never felt so suffocating, or loud before; it’s been like 120 hours since I regained consciousness, and I’m still stuck; everything I learn is different from what I knew; in every turn awaits a threat; Is it okay to trust these people?

It looks like Kayama Nemuri-san, who somehow ended as his legal guardian, does not trust him. Maybe she knows what his future-self did this time? He could ask… 

Anyhow, he expected something less forceful and sketchy from an _actual_ legal system, even when the rules of the Hibari family and the ones Reborn declares when convenient didn’t let the bar go high. Does it apply to everyone, or is it only when he’s involved that law refuses to be coherent and fair?

Eventually, the car stopped at the parking lot of a shopping mall. When she told him where they were going “because no child of mine will go around with just a single outfit, plus, shopping is a good way to get to know each other” -he thought he would manage somehow, he wasn't expecting to panic just seeing and hearing so many people. Nemuri couldn’t help smiling a bit, “Come forth, boy. Time to test that youth of yours.” -As he would soon discover, she’s way more youthful than him.

The building itself isn’t that interesting or special. It was similar to the one future-Nanimori had, just bigger (and without any secret base he's aware of). The displays, on the other hand, were very…distorted; in most cases, the basis of clothing can be the same he knows, just adapted to fit different bodies, which, he could’ve guessed would happen; other things, though, looked like they were taken from Giannini’s, Shoichi’s or Spanner’s workshop. Some less worrying futuristic devices, a couple of normal (or as plain as he would get here) looking food stands and a surprising amount of ¿hero? merchandise were present as well.

He stayed close to her as they entered a department store, probably the biggest he’s ever seen, with lots of products: makeup, toys, phones, computers, furniture, and more. When they reached the clothing section, she told him to search for something he liked before taking a few steps away from him and into a bench.

Standing where he was is probably not the answer, but he didn’t know what to do, he rarely bought clothes. He started by half-heartedly and nervously looking at the shirts around him, although he doesn’t know what size he’s searching for. Not even the size measurement is the same he knows, and the tags have names he’s never heard before, as well as some symbols he doesn’t understand either.

\- “Welcome, what are you looking for?”

\- “Hie!” – when he fell to the floor, he covered his mouth. Kayama-san stood up and he did as well before the employee could get out of their surprise- “I’m sorry.” -he hates it so much when his voice starts to shake - “No, I’m not looking for anything specific, I’m just” -how did the sentence go?- “looking around, see what I can find” – He could hear someone covering a laugh nearby.

\- “Are you okay?”

\- “Yep, thanks. Sorry”- He scratched the back of his neck... Ah, this is so embarrassing.

\- “Please don’t’ hesitate to ask me if you need anything.”

\- “We will, thank you.” -This time, it was Nemuri who answered, smiling politely. After that, she helped him look through the section, suggesting different brands and styles. Pants, sweaters, shirts, hoodies, vests, socks, and sweatpants started piling up.

After some tiresome hours, that somehow managed to be entertaining, they stopped trying things on him to eat something; he selected some things he was comfortable using, or that reminded him of his friend, plus some things Kayama-san liked, for the two of them. After paying (how much does this cost?) they headed towards a restaurant and then to visit a couple of stores more.

Throughout the afternoon, evening, and even night, he stopped tracks multiple times when he saw something that reminded him of his home, or when the thought he had recognized someone. Even so, all in all (awkwardness included), it wasn’t as bad as he expected. Furthermore, he did learn about what the symbols in the labels mean, they referred to clothing features, such as “fire-resistant”, “elastic” or “ductile”. Facts like that helped him smile somehow because he thought that Gokudera would have loved this world of “UMAS” and that when -if- he saw him again, he would have something interesting to talk with him.

By the time they left the last store, the parking lot was virtually empty; accordingly, there wasn’t much traffic either, and fast enough they arrived at an apartment complex. They had to go through the stairs, bags in hand, until the fourteen floor since the elevator was under repairs.

Once they were inside her apartment, she left the bags she held on the floor- “Mama’s home” -she exclaimed with a smile. He looked at her worriedly until he saw a ball of fluffiness from the corner of his eyes and his mind clicked. A cat walked straight to Nemuri, who picked them up from the floor to cuddle them in her arms.

-“Do you want to pet him?” -He must have been staring too much.

-“Can I? Animals don't really like me…” – Although almost every dog followed that rule, more often than not, cats were no exception.

-“Go ahead, he loves to be pampered” -Tsuna left the bags on the floor to face the feline, slowly so that he wouldn’t be scared. He withdrew his hand as soon as he touched the cat because he felt him flinch.

The cat jumped out of Nemuri’s arms into the floor. Then, he got close to Tsuna, who tried to pet him a second time, successfully. He swears he heard Kayama-san sighing at his left- “what’s his name?”- He looked at her, she still was smiling, but this time it seemed kinder and calmer.

-“The one you have in your arms is Shiro, over there” -she pointed at a brown couch- “is Maki.”

-“Shiro?” – that’s a weird name for a black cat, though maybe that’s the point? Who is he to judge, anyway.

-“Yep!” –by the look on her face, she probably realized he thought it was strange- “I know you’re tired, but let’s leave your clothes in your room first, how about we eat dinner then? Here, follow me!” -She opened the last door in the hall and his mind came to an abrupt stop. He just looked at her, and stared, and _stared_ ; after a while, he babbled some words, out of incredulity, before restarting his brain. At most, he expected nothing more aside from some bed with a cheap cover, but what he had in front was stylish and very expensive and tidied and everything looked new.

– “Is… Are you seriously giving this to me?” -Well that sounded rude- “I, please don’t get me wrong, I mean, thank you, but, you know”-he laughed awkwardly and- “Is it really okay for me to have this? I mean, I can sleep on the floor, like, honestly, I’ve done it before”-what is he saying? He doesn’t want to sleep on the floor or refuse the room. It wouldn’t solve anything, but this whole situation is straight-up shady –“Not only the room, the clothes, and food as well” -Everything they’ve done until now could be mafia-level ridiculous.- “Why are you being so nice to me?” – He’s scared. Isn’t he a stranger, otherwise a criminal? Are they testing him? Trying to win his favor to get close to Vongola? Or do they expect him to lower his guard before attacking him? He’s starting to see black... This mess doesn’t make sense. Why were they so eager to-

The sudden hug of Nemuri was startling. He took a deep breath, realizing he’s shaking. He somehow relaxed in her arms, but he was also feeling sleepy... Is it a drug?- “I promise you are safe here” -Forget about sleeping, he feels like crying– “Give me a couple of days, please, we’ll explain everything.” -Reborn would have killed him for agreeing, for holding onto her and her words.

He doesn’t know how much time passed. His palms were sweaty, but he didn’t let go of her. Eventually, probably thinking he was asleep, Nemuri lifted him to carried him into the room before tucking him in bed.

It’s weird to be treated like a kid.

He was tired, very, but he not exactly asleep until, without realizing it, he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not so sure about this chapter, but I hope it makes sense and that you liked it! I thought it would be a happy chapter, but who am I to deny my muses.
> 
> Anywho, thank you very, very much for all the kudos, coments and bookmarks! They make my day <3


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